Early indications suggest harsh flu season in US

Melissa Porter
|
12 October, 2017, 03:00

If early reports are a signal of how this flu season will be in San Diego, it could be a harsh one.

Vaccines in the United States this season are created to protect against two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and up to two B strains (B/Victoria lineage and B/Yamagata lineage), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The symptoms of Influenza start to show two days after exposure to the virus: a cough, sore throat, runny nose or blockage, body and muscle aches, headaches, tiredness, vomiting and diarrhoea in some people and especially in children.

As of October 7, there have been 221 cases reported this flu season. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six-months-old and older get a flu shot.

The warnings come as the CDC began its annual campaign to encourage Americans to get their flu shots before the virus begins spreading during the fall and winter.

The flu vaccine is available at doctors' offices and pharmacies.

Fluzone High-Dose: It is a high potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen compared to a standard flu shot. Past year the first flu-related death in Idaho occurred in December, and a total of 72 individuals in the state died due to flu-related illnesses. Infants, seniors and individuals with chronic heart, lung or endocrine diseases are more likely than others to become seriously ill if infected by the influenza virus and require hospitalization.

The flu vaccine is safe and does not cause the flu, states the Arkansas Department of Health. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging state residents to get vaccinated this season, noting that young children, individuals who are 65 years and older, pregnant women, and individuals with certain medical conditions are at greater risk of experiencing flu-related complications.

State health officials say to help avoid becoming one of those cases in the weeks ahead, you should consider getting a flu shot.

The FDA approved vaccines are created to offer extra protection beyond the standard flu shot.